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Opinion Contributor

Defending freedoms

Unfortunately, others in China and Bahrain face similar treatment that violates international standards.

China’s government jails and persecutes people for peacefully expressing their views, advocating for democratic reform and human rights, defending the rights of others, and holding religious beliefs or conducting religious activities not sanctioned by the state. Conditions for Tibetan Buddhists and Uighur Muslims remain dire, as does the fate of hundreds of detained unregistered Protestants, dozens of unregistered Catholic clergy, and detained Falun Gong adherents. Last year alone, more than 100 human rights defenders disappeared, or were tortured, detained, stripped of legal licenses, or sentenced to prison terms, as authorities tried to preempt any political unrest similar to the popular Arab Spring uprisings. The systematic targeting of human rights lawyers and activists belonging to the wei quan (rights defense) movement has gone on for many years.

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Like China, Bahrain’s government fears popular dissent, and has stood in the way of people peacefully demonstrating: dismissed and expelled workers and students for engaging in political activities; arbitrarily arrested, detained and tortured thousands, including medical personnel and human rights activists — some of whom have died as a result; and restricted freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, and some religious practices. Discrimination on the basis of gender, religion, nationality and sect persists — especially against the Shia Muslim population. Last year, the Bahraini government demolished 53 Shi’a religious structures without giving required notice or allowing judicial review prior to the demolitions. Multiple human rights groups allege that Shi’a individuals were harassed, interrogated, and arrested for returning to some of the destroyed sites to pray or retrieve religious materials.

Eli Wiesel once said, “I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

For the sake of Gao Zhisheng, Nabeel Rajab and other individuals across the globe, we dare not be silent. Let every person of conscience join us in support of human freedom, decency and dignity.

Reps. Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and James McGovern (D-Mass.) are co-chairs of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission; Katrina Lantos Swett serves as chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.